OT: For lovers of languages and admirers of Caroline

[Sifaka]

The language of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of France, is near extinction, with fewer than 1000 native speakers still living. There is now a movement to restore this critical aspect of Jersey's cultural heritage, by teaching Jerriais in public schools, along with the other official languages, English and French.

Here's a snippet from an AFP news story about the revival:

Giving a class at Beaulieu Convent School, a private Catholic school in Jersey’s capital of Saint Helier, she chats to seven-year-olds in Jerriais. “Comment qu’tu’es?” (How are you?) The children shoot their hands up, eyes glowing. “J’sis d’charme” (I’m well) or “J’sis magnifique” (I’m great), they answer.

source: Islanders seek to revive Jersey's native tongue

 

[HuskyNan]

Oh, THAT Jersey. I thought you meant the other one

 

[UConn82]

For those interested, see below on the languages spoken in the Channel Islands. GRIN - The Evidence of French Influence on the Channel Island. Is French still relevant in local press of the Channel Islands?

"The Channel Islands (Norman: Îles d'la Manche; French: îles Anglo-Normandes or îles de la Manche)[note 1] are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy" (From the wiki)

Victor Hugo, one of my most favorite authors, wrote one of his novels, Toilers of the Sea, set on one of the Channel Islands.

 

[CL82]

A great book to read is Agent Zigzag, a novel about a real life James Bond in World War II named Eddie Chapman. The start of his career takes place on the channel Islands, sort of, he is arrested and put in prison as a common thief with a proclivity for using explosives. The Germans invade and he agrees to become a spy for them, only to agree to be a double agent once he is deployed back in England.

It is a great book, made all the better because it’s actually events that have all the intrigue of a Bond novel. Oh, incidentally, Ian Fleming was well aware of him during the war, and some of Bonds romantic proclivity is likely based upon the lead character.

 

[Brewski]

Sifaka and Uconn82, nicely done! these are the OT vignettes I like.

 

[The deacon]

Want a snippet of what life might have been like on one of the Channel Islands immediately post-WWII? Check out a recent movie called the 'Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.' Seriously!

They're not speaking Jerriais, and Eddie Chapman's not on board, but it's a really good movie if you like period or historic films.

 

[SallyH]

Oh, THAT Jersey. I thought you meant the other one

Nan, this is great. We actually use this quote often. The two utes.

 

[Skeets]

I'm a big fan of all of the UConn utes.

 

[SallyH]

In 1969, when I was spending my Jr. year in Spain, we spent the night in Andorra, a tiny little Principality in the Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France. I was pretty fluent in Spanish and had a rough working knowledge of French and I could barely understand these folks.

 

[Golden Husky]

Many years ago (early eighties, best I can recall), I visited Jersey and Guernsey with my late wife, who had family there from her mother's side. Here's what I remember: The mail was delivered by family name--there were no street names--"law enforcement" was a constable, the main tourist attraction was the German built WWII bunkers, the natives spoke English, and the cuisine, we were told, took its major influences from Portugal.

That's all I got.

 

[Skeets]

Funny story (I think). I took my kids to Orlando to see the mouse. On the way back we stopped at a hospital in Dunn, NC in the middle of the night for what turned out to be a non-emergency. I was waiting in the ER while my daughter was being looked at. The nice lady at the desk asked me where I was from and I said Connecticut. She then asked "You got people"? To which I replied, "Yes my wife and 2 other daughters are in the car outside. She laughed and said that she's speaking "Southern" and that I was hearing "Northern". She said she meant to ask if I have family in Dunn, NC.

Well, I thought it was funny...

 

[SallyH]

Funny story (I think). I took my kids to Orlando to see the mouse. On the way back we stopped at a hospital in Dunn, NC in the middle of the night for what turned out to be a non-emergency. I was waiting in the ER while my daughter was being looked at. The nice lady at the desk asked me where I was from and I said Connecticut. She then asked "You got people"? To which I replied, "Yes my wife and 2 other daughters are in the car outside. She laughed and said that she's speaking "Southern" and that I was hearing "Northern". She said she meant to ask if I have family in Dunn, NC.

Well, I thought it was funny...

About ten years or so we're driving through TN in the summer and something triggered a sever allergic reaction with me, so we found a pharmacy and I asked the clerk where I could find Benadryl. She said "I'll non." and I'm thinking whoa I speak Spanish a spattering of French and I should be able to figure this out. So, it took a beat and I thanked her a continued to aisle 9.

 

[Brewski]

About ten years or so we're driving through TN in the summer and something triggered a sever allergic reaction with me, so we found a pharmacy and I asked the clerk where I could find Benadryl. She said "I'll non." and I'm thinking whoa I speak Spanish a spattering of French and I should be able to figure this out. So, it took a beat and I thanked her a continued to aisle 9.

SallyH:

I was born with moderate dyslexia, and I will someday die with it as well, so I have a hard time even with my own language, especially spelling and pronunciation. My wife is fluent in French, and I begged her to teach it to me. After the first lesson she said we needed to stop for the sake of our marriage

I was born and raised in the south, so I relate to your funny story. I always wanted to move out west, so after I finished grad school, I got a job in Colorado where Spanish is a borderline 2nd language. So I "over-achieved" and learned enough Spanish to be fairly good but certainly not fluent. Then my employer sent me on a detail to South America for 6 weeks doing reservoir satellite telemetry. The minute I got down there I was struggling more than I should have with Spanish. I was worried. Then one of my colleagues looked at me and said "you do know that the spoken language in Brazil is Portuguese, don't you?".

Yes, I was embarrassed to say the least. After that, things went well because the two languages are similar and the Brazilians know Spanish too but sometimes pretend like they don't.

 

[HuskyNan]

About ten years or so we're driving through TN in the summer and something triggered a sever allergic reaction with me, so we found a pharmacy and I asked the clerk where I could find Benadryl. She said "I'll non." and I'm thinking whoa I speak Spanish a spattering of French and I should be able to figure this out. So, it took a beat and I thanked her a continued to aisle 9.

I’ve been in Florida long enough now that I’ve stopped arguing with people that the word insurance is supposed to be inSURance, not INsurance. Still makes me grind my teeth when I hear it, though.

 

[eebmg]

About ten years or so we're driving through TN in the summer and something triggered a sever allergic reaction with me, so we found a pharmacy and I asked the clerk where I could find Benadryl. She said "I'll non." and I'm thinking whoa I speak Spanish a spattering of French and I should be able to figure this out. So, it took a beat and I thanked her a continued to aisle 9.

Hmmm.

 

[CL82]

This is a secondhand story, and I’ve told on the board before, but it kind of fits this thread’s drift.

A New Jersey born and bred friend of mine was relocating down to either North or South Carolina, I can’t remember which. While they were down there they stopped at a Piggly Wiggly to get some food and essentials. The clerk asked whether they had a Piggly Wiggly card because one of the items were on sale if they did. My buddy replied “no, we’re just down here looking for a house, I’m going to relocate in the next month or so.” The clerk replies “you are moving down here? Well then you are gonna need a Piggly Wiggly card. Let me go over to the courtesy desk and get one for you.“ Now, keep in mind that there is a line, and she is leaving the register to go do this for my friend. He’s reluctant to inconvenience everyone else in line so he says “that’s all right, we’ll get it the next time“ but the clerk ignores him and goes to get it so he gets a plaintive mix of “no wait stop no it’s OK no wait…“ he’s mortified and turns in line to the woman behind him and says “I’m so sorry…“. She just looks at him and says “oh that’s OK honey, we’re all just friendly down here.“

I strongly suspect that if the same set of facts happened in New Jersey the reaction of the people in line behind him might’ve been a tad bit different.

 

[SallyH]

SallyH:

I was born with moderate dyslexia, and I will someday die with it as well, so I have a hard time even with my own language, especially spelling and pronunciation. My wife is fluent in French, and I begged her to teach it to me. After the first lesson she said we needed to stop for the sake of our marriage

I was born and raised in the south, so I relate to your funny story. I always wanted to move out west, so after I finished grad school, I got a job in Colorado where Spanish is a borderline 2nd language. So I "over-achieved" and learned enough Spanish to be fairly good but certainly not fluent. Then my employer sent me on a detail to South America for 6 weeks doing reservoir satellite telemetry. The minute I got down there I was struggling more than I should have with Spanish. I was worried. Then one of my colleagues looked at me and said "you do know that the spoken language in Brazil is Portuguese, don't you?".

Yes, I was embarrassed to say the least. After that, things went well because the two languages are similar and the Brazilians know Spanish too but sometimes pretend like they don't.

Brewski, can you envision some ESOL (English as a second language) student coming to this country believing that the folks in Maine are speaking the same language in Alabama?

 

[SallyH]

I just noticed an error in my original post - the clerk said "All non".

 

[Ciscokid]

About ten years or so we're driving through TN in the summer and something triggered a sever allergic reaction with me, so we found a pharmacy and I asked the clerk where I could find Benadryl. She said "I'll non." and I'm thinking whoa I speak Spanish a spattering of French and I should be able to figure this out. So, it took a beat and I thanked her a continued to aisle 9.

Was pulling through a gas station in Georgia and the attendant asked "How's Earl?" I threw up my hands and he checked the oil.

 

[JordyG]

The language of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of France, is near extinction, with fewer than 1000 native speakers still living. There is now a movement to restore this critical aspect of Jersey's cultural heritage, by teaching Jerriais in public schools, along with the other official languages, English and French.

Here's a snippet from an AFP news story about the revival:



source: Islanders seek to revive Jersey's native tongue

This version of French is almost like that spoken by Quebecois n'est ce pas?

 

[Brewski]

I just noticed an error in my original post - the clerk said "All non".

Yes, that's a better spelling for the southern pronunciation of nine, a word I still pronounce with a southern twang (nahn) even though I've been in Colorado for 32 years!

Your Maine/Alabama scenario is spot on! Yes I could envision that. I went to Scotland back in the 90s, and the first thing I did of course was to go to a bar for a single malt whiskey. I could not understand a single thing the bartender was saying to me!!!!!

 

[sun]

The language of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of France, is near extinction, with fewer than 1000 native speakers still living.

New England French is another dialect that's dying out.
Scrolling through this Wiki entry provides some info. that may (or may not) be relevant to the Decharme family.

I recall visiting Biddeford, Maine which is 20 miles south of Portland when I was a kid, and a small store clerk spoke to me in French.

New England French - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Bigboote]

I’ve been in Florida long enough now that I’ve stopped arguing with people that the word insurance is supposed to be inSURance, not INsurance. Still makes me grind my teeth when I hear it, though.

I pick up accents/dialects quite readily. I don't say INsurance, but I do say UMbrella.

Because I have so much Connecticut, Maine, Virginia, and Maryland in my accent and mannerisms, people often have wildly different ideas where I'm from. My wife thought I had a California accent when we met.

My first encounter with a thick Southern accent: When I was moving from New England to Virginia, my VW bug broke its fan belt. I was maybe 100 yards from an exit and could see a Sears, so drove up to the Sears. Big mistake. I got a new belt, but still had to take it to a garage to have some adjustments made. I was able to drive to Charlottesville, but it was backfiring. I took it to the VW dealer, and a mechanic told me the coals had melted. Say what? I asked him to show me. It was the coils.

 

[Bigboote]

The language of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of France, is near extinction, with fewer than 1000 native speakers still living. There is now a movement to restore this critical aspect of Jersey's cultural heritage, by teaching Jerriais in public schools, along with the other official languages, English and French.

Here's a snippet from an AFP news story about the revival:



source: Islanders seek to revive Jersey's native tongue

That looks a lot like French, although the meanings are different. (Je suis du charm would mean I am charming.) I would have thought they'd speak a Celtic language in Jersey.

Fun factoid, Breton (spoken just a few miles from Jersey) and Welsh are possibly the two most similar Celtic languages. I saw a show awhile back in which someone speaking Welsh and someone speaking Breton were able to understand each other for the most part.

 

[The deacon]

I pick up accents/dialects quite readily. I don't say INsurance, but I do say UMbrella.

Because I have so much Connecticut, Maine, Virginia, and Maryland in my accent and mannerisms, people often have wildly different ideas where I'm from. My wife thought I had a California accent when we met.

My first encounter with a thick Southern accent: When I was moving from New England to Virginia, my VW bug broke its fan belt. I was maybe 100 yards from an exit and could see a Sears, so drove up to the Sears. Big mistake. I got a new belt, but still had to take it to a garage to have some adjustments made. I was able to drive to Charlottesville, but it was backfiring. I took it to the VW dealer, and a mechanic told me the coals had melted. Say what? I asked him to show me. It was the coils.

When I came home to Connecticut for Thanksgiving from my first couple of months at Wake Forest, it was pointed out to me that I had already started saying 'y'all.' I was borderline mortified until I realized that might help me bond better with the home folks in Carolina.